Finger guide for typewriters



P. J. PARKER Nov. 28, 1933.

FINGER GUIDE FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Nov. 24 1931 Patented Nov. 28, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application November 24, 1931 Serial No. 577,135

2 Claims.

. The present invention relates to instrumentalities applicable to the keyboard of a typewriter or like device, for facilitating the teaching of or the acquisition of practical experience in opera- 5 tion of the keyboard by what is common called the touch system. In'carrying out the inven" tion, the keyboard is first divided by a partition which extends above the surface of the keyboard, thus assigning one-half of the keyboard to each of the hands of the operator, and providing the alternative keys of each divided portion with surfaces which can be readily distinguished by touch, and in further arranging these touchdistinguishing surfaces so that the keys having 15 such surfaces will be staggeredly arranged in the several horizontal rows of each section of the keyboard.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in the sundry devices and in 0 their mode of disposition on the keyboard and in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, which shows the preferred embodiment of the invention as at present devised: Figure 1 is a plan view of the keyboard of a typewriter equipped with the present invention; Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the division partition or guide.

In practicing the invention, the keyboard of a typewriter or like device is divided by a partition 11 which is inserted between the keys 5 6, ti! y, g?! Uh, b7, n. This partition 11 may be provided from cardboard, light wood, fiber, rubber, or other selfsustaining sheet material and consists of an elongated strip having one end portion a cut on a line which extends at an acute angle with respect to the upper edge b of the partition 11. The other end portion 0 of the partition is formed on its end side with an upwardly extending cut-out portion or recess d which overlies the spacing bar 12 of the keyboard and is of such dimensions as to have its edges well spaced from the bar to per mit free and unhindered movement thereof. The lower forward extremity of the end 0 of the partition rests upon the front bar 13 of the frame. The lower edge of the partition 11 may be cut on an upwardly inclined line or other suitable manner so that the partition will not interfere with the supporting arms of the keys. In order to give additional stability to the dividing partition when in operative position, its lower edge is provided at an intermediate portion with a downwardly extending leg which may engage with the supporting surface of the typewriter or with some rigid part of the typewriter frame. When the partition is inserted in place, its rear edge a will rest against the front face of the typewriter frame and its front lower extremity will rest upon the front bar frame 13 of the keyboard.

Thus it will be seen that the division partition may be readily inserted and removed as desired without requiring any fastening members or elements of any kind. It will also be seen that when the partition is inserted in place, it will be held in position between the keys and adjacent surface of the typewriter frame andwill extend well above the surface of the keyboard.

After the keyboard has been divided in the manner described, the keys of each horizontal row of each divided portion are rendered distinctive from an adjacent key and this is accomplished by providing cover members 14 having a roughened or other surface distinctive by touch from an adjacent key of the same row. To this end a plurality of cover members 14 having raised or roughened surfaces are provided and are applied to alternative keys of each row with respect to the division partition in such a manner that similar keys of adjacent rows will be staggeredly arranged. Thus, on the left side of the partition 11 the keys 5 and g will be covered with the raised or roughened surface whereas the keys t and b will be smooth or uncovered: and on the right side of the partition 11 the keys 6 and h are covered with roughened or raised surfaces while the keys y and n are smooth or uncovered.

By this arrangement, if the operator is striking the first or top row of either of the divided sections, he will know by the touch of the key whether he is striking the proper key in that particular row. If the same finger is to strike a key in the next or any lower row, by the same token the operator will know by touch whether the proper key has been struck.

The present invention does not contemplate distinguishing the shift keys, but only the numerals, letters of the alphabet and the punctuation marks. It is not contemplated to have the character of the surfaces of the different keys widely differentiated or in other words, have a diversity of characteristic surfaces distinguishable by touch. It is only contemplated to have, say, two distinguishable surfaces, namely a smooth surface and a roughened or raised surface, whereby the operator or student will be relieved of remembering or identifying a diversity of surfaces for each individual number or letter of the alphabet,

In this specification and the annexed draw-- ing, the invention is disclosed in the form in which it is considered to be the best, but the in vention is not limited to such form because it is capable of being embodied in other forms; and it is to be understood that in and by the claims following the description herein it is intended to cover the invention in whatever form it may be embodied within the scope thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. The combination with a keyboard of a typing machine, of means for facilitating the learn-- ing of the touch system for the operation of said keyboard, said means including a single piece of self-sustaining sheet material to be inserted be tween the keys operated by the right hand and the keys operated by the left hand, thus forming a division partition for the keyboard and having its upper edge extending above the surface of the keyboard, the rear edge of said partition being formed to bear against the front frame of the typewriter, and its forward edge being adapted, to rest upon the front frame bar of the keyboard. whereby said partition is removably supported without fasteners in position between said keys and without hindering the operation of adjacent keys, cover members for said keys, the surfaces of said cover members on alternate keys in each horizontal row on opposite sides of said partition being alike but distinguishable by touch from the surfaces of adjacent keys of the row; and further said key surfaces in each horizontal row of the keyboard being staggeredly arranged with respect to those of adjacent rows and from said partition.

2. The combination with a keyboard of a typing machine, of means for facilitating the learning of the touch system for the operation of said keyboard, said means including a single piece of self-sustaining sheet material to be inserted between the keys operated by the right hand and the keys operated by the left hand, thus forming a division partition for the keyboard, cover members for said keys, the surfaces of said cover members on alternate keys in each horizontal row on opposite sides of said partition being alike but distinguishable by touch from the surfaces of adjacent keys of the row; and further, said key surfaces in each horizontal row of the keyboard being staggeredly arranged with respect to those of adjacent rows and from said partition.

PHILIP J. PARKER. 

